Chapter Eighteen: Chaos
Lucrecia stood frozen in place, terror rooting her to the warped floorboards in the corner of the room. She could hear nothing but the sound of the blood roaring through her veins, her pulse pounding at her temples. She stared helplessly at the large demon who stood just a few feet away, afraid even to blink.
A low growl rumbled through Chaos' broad chest as the creature studied her, its glowing red eyes difficult to read. Time stood still as they faced each other, the demon appearing almost as surprised to find her there as she was to come across it. Could demons even be surprised? Her mind began to race as she remained motionless, wondering what Chaos was thinking as her wide eyes took in its form.
Chaos stood about a foot taller than Vincent, towering over her as its much greater bulk blocked her view of the rest of the room. As she studied the demon, she noted its masculine appearance, solidly muscular with a strong jaw and angular features. Since its host was also male, she quickly concluded that Chaos was a 'he' and not an 'it.' His thick, smooth skin was a grayish purple color, long leathery wings folded against his back in the close quarters. Two tall, pointed horns adorned a hairless head, equally dangerous fangs hanging over his bottom lip. A long, thin tail with a forked tip flicked back and forth behind him as he slowly looked her over from head to foot. His red eyes were hauntingly familiar, a hint of the man he possessed buried beneath the demon's consciousness. Was Vincent still in there, aware of anything that was happening? Lucrecia dearly hoped he had some kind of influence over his alter ego, though from what he'd told her she feared that was not the case.
Lucrecia swallowed nervously, fighting to remain calm once she got over her initial shock. The logical scientist in her battled to process the situation, both fascinated by the being before her and aware that her next actions would determine whether she lived or died. Gods, she couldn't let Chaos hurt her… for Vincent's sake more than her own. If he returned and found her injured by his own hand… or worse… she knew it would destroy him.
She could hear Chaos sniffing the air, trying not to look at the sharp claws of his hands and feet and think about what they were capable of. He tilted his head, a predatory expression reminiscent of a wolf on the hunt shining in his eyes. A predator. Chaos thought like a predator, she reminded herself, and at that moment she was potential prey. She knew she had to act quickly to convince him that she wasn't… or she might end up as his evening meal.
She briefly closed her eyes, swallowing the fear she knew the creature could smell radiating from her pores. She remained as still as possible, though her first instinct had been to scream and run for the door that led back to the safety of her apartment. Remembering Vincent's fears about getting a pet cat, however, she knew that Chaos would see any quick movements as an invitation to chase her down.
Slowly, Lucrecia held up her empty hands, palms facing outwards. Though the very thought was ludicrous, she wanted to show him that she meant no harm. Chaos followed the movement, snorting in her direction before growling again. She forced a smile across her face, wondering if the creature could read human expressions. He did share a body with a human, after all… And if the demon influenced Vincent's thoughts and desires, the reverse might be true as well. It was a theory she knew her life depended upon.
"Hi there," she said softly, the sound of her voice causing the demon to go as still as she remained. "Please don't hurt me…"
Chaos cocked his head to the side, his mind racing behind those familiar red eyes. He was clearly listening, pointed ears pricked as he took in the new sound. She wondered if anyone had ever spoken to him before, finding it doubtful. Lucrecia assumed any human who came across such a creature would have done what came naturally… screaming in terror and running for their life. Thankfully, she had information about the demon beforehand, and the analytic part of her mind allowed her to stop and think before she reacted.
Her resolve to remain calm was sorely tested when, a moment later, Chaos took a step even closer. The floor boards groaned beneath his weight, his tail thumping against the wall to his right. His appeared far more confused and curious than angry, but she was no expert on reading the emotions of a demon. Her eyes widened as he lifted one large hand, the enormous claws he had in place of fingers catching the moonlight and awakening butterflies in the pit of her stomach.
Oh gods… Please don't do it. This can't be happening! Not after everything we've been through…
She could only watch as Chaos reached toward her, though his movements were slow and almost cautious. She held her breath as he brought his claw to her shoulder, holding her body as still as a statue and praying her visible trembling would not excite him. She was terrified… and no matter how hard she fought to remain calm, she was certain the creature knew it.
Chaos extended one clawed digit and poked her shoulder, the sharp prick like that of a needle even through her clothing. He snorted again, reminding her of a dragon, before he slowly ran the sharp claw along the fabric that covered her upper arm. His red eyes were focused intently on what he was doing, and though it was uncomfortable it almost seemed as though the demon was being gentle. He was studying her, she realized, trying to figure out what exactly she was and how he should respond. Perhaps there was more thought going on inside his mind than even Vincent was aware of.
As he continued to prod her, Lucrecia remained as still as she could and tried not to flinch. She watched with a mixture of curiosity and dread, wondering what he was going to do next. She never would have expected Chaos to behave this way… Vincent made it sound as though the creature was a mindless, violent beast who existed only to kill and enjoy the taste of blood. The demon before her seemed far more intelligent and thoughtful, using his senses to decide if she was prey or something to be passed by. She wished she could read his mind, hoping she was doing the right thing by allowing him to study her. Not that she had much choice… Her back was pressed against the wall in the corner she'd foolishly gotten trapped in, the demon completely blocking her escape.
She jumped when Chaos suddenly growled again, though it was slightly different in tone than the sound he'd made when he first saw her. Was he trying to communicate in some way? Or was he simply following his instincts and doing what came naturally? She was not sure which, if either, was preferable. She wished she knew more about him… where he had originated and how exactly Hojo had implanted him inside Vincent. Was Chaos born or made? Were there others like him? Did he have a purpose? And if so, did anyone really know what it was? The unanswered questions played through her mind, and she vowed to try to research the subject whether Vincent wanted her to or not. If she lived to get the chance…
"I'm not food," she said quietly, Chaos' eyes briefly meeting hers and sending a chill down her spine. "I'm sure I'd taste terrible… There are a lot of fish and wild animals out by the harbor and on the plains to the East, though. Why don't you go and hunt there, and I'll head back inside and leave you to it?"
She felt foolish for speaking to the creature as if he could understand, but was unable to resist the compulsion to do so. There was an intelligence in his eyes despite his obvious predatory nature and inability to communicate. She knew he was extremely dangerous… He was a very large demon, one that Vincent had told her filled his mind with thoughts of violence and death. But if Chaos' only desire was to kill, why was she not already dead?
"Vincent wouldn't want you to hurt me," she ventured as the demon titled his head. He was listening closely, whether he understood the words or not. "You give him a really hard time, you know. I think you owe it to him to leave me alone…"
Though her voice remained soft and calm, Lucrecia felt a rising anger burning within her as she faced the demon that so tormented the man she loved. She knew Chaos had likely not had a choice in the matter when he was made to share Vincent's body, but she still hated him for what he put her lover through. Without him, Vincent might actually be happy, and their relationship would be so much simpler. She quickly bit down on her negative emotions, not wanting Chaos to pick up on them and react in kind. She had a feeling ticking him off was not a wise idea, no matter how she felt about him and the pain he caused.
Chaos blinked, leaning down so close to her that she could feel his hot breath on her skin. She whimpered despite herself, terrified that he was about to tear her throat out with his fangs. She froze as he began to sniff in earnest, his nose nearly pressed against her flesh as he moved from the base of her neck up along the side of her face. His strange attentions tickled and sent an involuntary shiver down her spine, and she clenched her hands into fists as she fought to remain still. When he passed her ear and reached the top of her head, Chaos inhaled deeply, then leaned back with an almost comically puzzled look on his face. Was it distant recognition… or did she just smell funny?
Lucrecia's heart skipped a beat as Chaos suddenly threw his head back and roared, his deep voice echoing off the walls and raising goose bumps on her skin. She had no time to react as he reached out and grabbed her by the collar of her robe, yelping in terror as he effortlessly plucked her from the floor and into the air. Her slippers fell from her feet as she dangled helplessly, lifted almost to Chaos' eye level.
Gods, had he understood her words after all? Why had she thought it was a good idea to speak to him?! There was a smoldering rage in his eyes as he snarled into her face, his fangs just inches away. She struggled to breathe against his iron grip on her clothing, forcing her to gasp for air. She struggled to swallow, closing her eyes and beginning to pray. She didn't really believe in gods any more, but at that moment she hoped with her whole being that they existed and would see fit to aid her for once in her life. She had never needed their intervention more…
A single tear trailed down her cheek as she forced herself to stare death in the face. Her eyes locked with those of Chaos, their red glow only adding to the fury she saw. He growled dangerously, leaning closer and opening his mouth as if he was about to bite the side of her neck. But as he did so, another falling tear caught his eye. Chaos paused, his gaze shifting to her cheek, watching as it ran down her face like raindrops on a window pane. When their eyes met again, Lucrecia nearly gasped… For just a moment, they were Vincent's eyes. There was such heavy sorrow and regret visible in them that it was nearly a physical presence, though the predatory desires of Chaos still burned just beneath.
And then she was falling. Chaos had released his grip upon her, sending Lucrecia to the floor in a crumpled heap. As she looked up at his towering form from within his shadow, the demon roared and partially spread his leathery wings. He took one long, last look at his discarded prey and turned toward the door, stomping across the aging floorboards until he reached it and squeezed through the frame.
A moment later he was gone, disappearing into the darkness with the sound of his wings beating against the cool night air. Lucrecia remained where she had fallen, too stunned and frightened to move. A few minutes later, when she'd managed to slow her breathing and partially quiet the violent trembling wracking her body, she heard a distant roar echoing from the East. As she shakily climbed to her feet and stared toward the open doorway, she could only hope Vincent would also survive his encounter with Chaos.
((Author's Notes: This was one of the first scene ideas that inspired me to write this fic. I hope my interpretation of Chaos is interesting and perhaps a bit unique. I believe that if he can influence Vincent to a degree, Vincent can also affect the way he thinks and acts now and then… even if he is not aware of it and may not remember. There was a scene early in Irony of Fate where Chaos helped fight off Jenova and saved Cid's life (hopefully some of you recall ;) ). Afterwards Cid offered him a cigarette as Chaos stood studying him, and the demon just flew away without harming him. So that was the origin of a lot of my thoughts on how he'd behave when faced with a human… especially one part of him 'knows.' Obviously I was not going to kill off Lucrecia, so I hope no one really wanted me to do something like that to poor Vincent. I really believe he would kill himself if Chaos harmed her. I think I'd get flamed right off ffnet if I wrote THAT alternate ending. Next chapter, find out what, if anything, Vincent remembers about all this… and how Lucrecia reacts when he returns home. Thanks again for all the lovely reviews and favs/follows. I love you guys! ~ JenesisX ))
